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Going SoLo

The world generated 1.8 zettabytes of data in 2011 according to Forrester, who also predicts that marketing spend on email, mobile and social will more than double to $16 billion by 2016. They also tell us that nearly two-thirds of consumers are active on social networks every week.

No huge surprises here, but it serves as a useful reminder to businesses that they need to go where their customers are. I’m not sure how much I’m fancying email as a promising marketing platform of the future, but mobile and social are clearly the way forward for marketers as consumers spend more time on the go for business and pleasure, and increasingly socialise via technology.

SoLo marketing (location based social media marketing) increasingly marks the zenith – the point where mobile and social converge – for consumer brands looking for a generous slice of the action. Context is key, reaching consumers in a way that is relevant to where they are and on a platform that allows them to share the experience with their networks.

Foursquare, with nearly a million registered businesses and 8-figure strong consumer base, and the growing number of services like it, are ideal for businesses trying to net passers by and get them to shout about it. But retail businesses can also benefit from a whole slew of activities that promote their location to potential consumers in the area, such as blogs, directories, coupon apps and optimsing their websites for mobile. This link takes you to a neat little shopping list: